FAQ, quick tips, and troubleshooting for MPC-HC—everything you need to maximize your playback experience.
Quick answers on installation, formats, subtitles, hardware acceleration, and common MPC-HC issues.
MPC-HC is a free, open-source Windows media player. It’s light on resources, starts quickly, and plays most video and audio formats without extra codec packs.
Yes. MPC-HC is free and open source—no fees, no ads, no telemetry. It’s licensed under the GNU GPL.
MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, FLV, MPEG, WMV and more—plus modern codecs such as H.264, HEVC, VP8, VP9, and AV1.
Usually not. MPC-HC ships with decoders for most common formats. Only for a few rare or proprietary formats might you need extra DirectShow filters.
You can add subtitles by placing a subtitle file (SRT, ASS, SSA, etc.) in the same folder as your video file with the same name. MPC-HC will automatically load it. You can also manually load subtitles from the menu: Play → Subtitles → Load Subtitle.
Yes. MPC-HC can play DVDs and Blu-rays with menus—from disc or from ISO files. Some discs may require decryption libraries.
In Options → Playback → Output, choose EVR Custom Presenter or madVR. Under Options → Internal Filters → Video Decoder, turn on hardware acceleration (DXVA) for supported codecs.
Often it’s CPU/GPU load, hardware acceleration off, or old drivers. Enable DXVA, update your GPU drivers, or try another video renderer (e.g. EVR or madVR) in Options.
Yes. Skins, toolbar layout, window size, and other interface options are available under the Options menu.
Open View → Playlist, then drag files in or use File → Open File/Open Folder. Save with File → Save Playlist.
MPC-HC is Windows-only. On Mac or Linux, consider VLC or MPV instead.
Use the GitHub issue tracker: github.com/clsid2/mpc-hc/issues. Include steps to reproduce and your system info.
Install MPC-HC, learn basic controls, manage subtitles, and tweak essential settings in a few minutes.
Get the installer from the GitHub releases page, run it, and follow the steps. Pick 32-bit or 64-bit to match your Windows.
Use File → Open File or drag files into the window. If MPC-HC is your default player, double-clicking a media file opens it automatically.
Use the bottom bar for play/pause, stop, skip, volume, and seeking. Right-click the video for more options; keyboard shortcuts speed things up.
Put .srt or .ass files next to the video with the same name for auto-load. Or use Play → Subtitles to load, adjust, or turn them off.
Open View → Options to tweak playback, video/audio, subtitles, interface, and keyboard shortcuts.
Space = play/pause, Left/Right = seek, Up/Down = volume, F = fullscreen, M = mute, O = options. Full list under Options → Keys.
Video, audio, subtitle, or performance issues—here are fixes that usually work.
Confirm the format is supported, update GPU drivers, and enable hardware acceleration in Options → Internal Filters. If it still fails, switch video renderer (EVR, VMR-9, or madVR).
Check the Windows volume mixer and Options → Audio. Try DirectSound or WASAPI. Ensure the audio codec is supported and drivers are up to date.
Ensure subtitle file is in the same folder with matching name. Check subtitle format is supported. Enable subtitles in Play → Subtitles menu. Adjust subtitle position and size in Options.
Enable hardware acceleration. Update graphics drivers. Close other applications. Try different video renderer. Reduce video quality settings. Check system requirements.
Ensure disc is inserted correctly. Install necessary decryption libraries if required. Try opening disc from File → Open Disc menu. Check disc region compatibility.
Reset to default settings in Options. Try different skin or theme. Reset window position and size. Check display scaling settings in Windows.
More help, documentation, and support for MPC-HC. See MPC-HC Changelog for updates and MPC-HC Features for capabilities.
View source code, report issues, and contribute to development of MPC-HC.
Visit GitHub